A former Liverpool nightclub that was popular in the eighties had a "first of its kind" dancefloor imported from France.
Occupying the former Scamps premises on the junction of Mount Pleasant and Brownlow Hill, Bunters first opened its doors in April 1983. Inspired by the fictional character Billy Bunter from the mythical Greyfriars School, the club aimed to be "one of the liveliest "on Merseyside.
The brainchild of businessmen Ernie Priestman, Paul Twemlow and Phil Brown, the building was completely gutted, redesigned and rebuilt - boasting an "upmarket image." With a dark green and grey colour scheme, the club was carpeted throughout with ‘B’ motifs and carpet panel-pictures of Billy Bunter, with large murals being found on the walls.
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But the club is also remembered for having a unique dancefloor. Imported from France, the stainless steel dancefloor was "the first of its kind" in Britain and above the floor was a battery of lighting equipment to "compare with Top of the Pops."
On April 18, 1983, partner Paul Twemlow told the ECHO: "We took over the premises last February and there has been a massive operation to change the place completely, to refit it and convert it into one of the finest clubs in the North. Our aim is to build Bunters into a well-conducted club, with an impeccable reputation and we shall be encouraging patrons who are smartly dressed in casual wear."
Inside, clubbers could head to two bars and enjoy music from top DJs and drinks made by a cocktail-making expert from London. On the drinks menu, you could choose anything from champagne to ice-cream cocktails, but the club was also home to a restaurant area.
Paul Twemlow previously said: "Billy Bunter had the reputation of being able to shift enormous quantities of food and through our restaurant and buffet, we shall be offering big portions of wholesome food in a range, from ‘fast’ to a la carte. The restaurant area has marble-topped tables on Victorian cast-iron bases, with bentwood chairs and plastic wickerwork seats."
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Images, courtesy of our archives, Mirrorpix, capture what Bunters looked like when it first opened in 1983. We see manager Bill McGarry on the disco floor and an illustration being made on the club's walls. The following year, an image shows clubbers enjoying a night at the popular venue.
Clubbers remember heading to Bunters for a night out and for many, it will have been the first venue they visited as an adult clubbing in the city. It is still remembered as one of the popular spots to visit in the 1980s.
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Many will remember the nightclub was on the same site as the Ritz cinema, which opened in 1985. But in September 1988, the ECHO reported how bosses Jan Johnston and Andrew Cartwright were "a picture of sorrow as their buildings owners flicked off the city centre movie house."
The report said: "They have been kicked out of the premises on Mount Pleasant by Vaux Breweries…just months after spending thousands of pounds on a facelift. The Geordie beermakers have also called last orders on the Bierkeller and Bunters nightclub, which shared the building."
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At the time, Vaux estates director Mark Sheard told the ECHO that the future of the whole complex was "under review" but that he "envisaged" that a cinema would be retained. By the 1990s, the site was home to cinema 051, after the telephone dialling prefix for Liverpool.
But the site became best known for 051 club, one of the city's most famous venues. With a capacity for 2,000 people, for years clubbers would tackle the club's rite-of-passage stairway descent to the basement expanse and dance the night away in baggy jeans, oversized t-shirts, crop tops, bucket hats and more.
In 2020, clubbers reminisced about their days at the famous 051 club following claims the site was to be demolished. At the time, Radio City DJ Lee Butler posted on Twitter claiming he had received an email from the owners saying the 051 would soon fall to the bulldozers.
On August 2 last year, the site was devastated by a fire with people questioning why it hasn't been redeveloped. Today, all that remains of Bunters and what followed is the site, as well as clubbers fond memories and photographs of great nights there.
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